Calculation Training

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KeSetoKaiba
Spaceysmile wrote:
KeSetoKaiba yazdı:
Spaceysmile wrote:

Yes , I was Asking for evaluation of 1...Qxc3+ .

Isn't Black crushing White already? ...Qxc3+?? just gives away the Queen after the obvious bxc3 right? I think Black just has to sit tight and convert the position into a win. As @DaddyReza noted, just move the Queen to another square: ...Qa6!? looks bad for White. However, other developing ideas such as ...Nc6 look good for Black too. My evaluation for Qxc3+ is that it is impatient and probably just a blunder (maybe I'm missing something? I don't know). 

Here are my thoughts on the position: 

Pawn structure - Black is much better. Black has two pawn islands and White has three. Plus, Black's "small island" is a deep pawn only two ranks from promotion (on b3). Compare this to White's pawns sitting far back on their 2nd or 3rd rank with the exception of the doubled h-pawns, but Black's King safely blocks the promotion square, so the advanced pawns are of little danger to Black. 

Piece activity - I like Black better here too. White's King is biding its time in the center (somewhat dangerous with Queens on the board, but perhaps okay if an endgame arises soon), but Black's King has an active role of stopping White's h-pawns from advancing/promoting. The open a-file is controlled by Black. True, White may gain control of the c-file, but I think the a-file has more penetration threats. Black can infiltrate on the a-file faster than White can on the c-file. I won't address every piece, but White's are clustered on the bottom right of the board, not doing much, but Black's are more active. 

I realize that my assessment is more positional in description, but I think White is already on the verge of being lost if not already; of course, Qxc3+?? just throws away the advantage. Additionally, I noted how White's King isn't ideally placed with Queens on the board. White wants a Queen trade and I'm sure White would ecstatic to get the Queen for only a Rook. 

I somehow overlooked that post  but whatever I can answer it now ... black's position is worse Than You thought , white's chances on kingside effect Game More Than You thought . For example , black cant play Qa6 Because g6 is hanging ( Qxg6 ) with serious threads . Only move I could play Except Qxc3 was Qe8 , which is very Complex . Qxc3 was A dubious move at most , and A practical play Given OTB situation ( at that time , my opponent only had 5 minutes left on Clock , I had 9 ) ...

I don't think so. Black's attack is still faster and the g6 pawn isn't that important with White's vulnerable King in the center. if ...Qa6 Qxg6!? (which looks strong at a glance, but I don't think there is a quick enough attack White can follow with) then just ...Qa2 to infiltrate and I think Black is quicker. It isn't too difficult to find actually: given that one reasons through the advantages and disadvantages I noted several posts ago.

DiogenesDue

So I checked with chess.com's engine (I don't keep an engine installed on my desktop anymore) which I don't know the particulars of (is their engine based on open source Stockfish or Komodo which they now own?), but at 34 ply it evaluates -0.66 for black after Rxg1+ Kxg1 Kf7, but interestingly, after the initial rook exchange. it drops the eval to about half a pawn, but it goes steadily up from there each move, so I think maybe it's just a horizon issue. 

It's next recommended move for white is b4, and after b4 cxb4 cxb4 it gives black -1.72 at 40 ply, which is even better than the advantage is gives with rooks on the board (-1.25 at 33 ply) in the initial position.  

The cool part is, if somebody analyzes this endgame with an engine, they would probably see a -1.25 drop to -0.66 and just stop right there and find a better branch, but the engine figures it out a little down the line wink.png.  

Spaceysmile

@btickler b4 is A Weird move TBH , Even though You say it is computer move , it Dont seem to me right . Like only reason that seems logical is A black plan that King walking until a4 , Than playing b4 , but white should be able to prevent it @KeSeto">@KeSetoKaiba 

TBH I underestimated Qa2 threat . It should be looked What happens If white play Rxb3 , but Yeah black Dont seems much bad . But white's attack shouldn't be underestimated as well , white just need A Few tempo to have A decisive attack ( Nf3-h4-g6 or Qg6-Rh3-g3 with Qg8 ) 

It is Why I didnt want to play Qe8 OTB , and TBH I Completely overlooked Qa6/a2 Idea  at OTB , so  I need Do give Qxc3 A chance , even though I saw it leads to perpatual.

 

Spaceysmile

Also I am still looking to 3rd official question 

but still couldnt see anything over What I saw before 

I feel I am on right track , but cant see anything , and it is especially hard to see Queen moves , so Like 

İt is hard 

DiogenesDue
Spaceysmile wrote:

@btickler b4 is A Weird move TBH , Even though You say it is computer move , it Dont seem to me right . Like only reason that seems logical is A black plan that King walking until a4 , Than playing b4 , but white should be able to prevent it @KeSeto">@KeSetoKaiba 

I'm guessing it has something to with black being able to close up the queenside completely by locking the pawn structure unless white "clears out" at least one pawn, which then leaves a gap.  Even if the pawn structure didn't get locked up, making such a gap later would take longer if black were to have played c4 and e5, for example.

KingSonicTheChessHedgehog

hi kabob!

Spaceysmile
PawnstormPossie yazdı:

Here's another position:

 

White to move:

How do you evaluate the position? What to calculate? What's your plan for White and Black to support your final decison?

White is A passer pawn up , and had better organization Than black , they just need to passiviate black pieces which isnt hard .

1.b3 and I think white is Basicly winning here , even though win Will take some time 

Let's look at some variations : 

a) 1...f5 2.Ng3 Nd6!? 3.Rd1 Nb7 4.b4 Rd8 5.Qc2 Rxd1 6.Qxd1 is The only variation which I cant call white outright winning , but with passer pawn and control of open line , it should still be winning 

b) 1...Nb6 2.Rc3 Na8 ( 2...f5 fail to Nd6 ) 3.Qd7 and white pieces are too active when black pieces are too passive for prevent white winning .

c)1...Na5 2.Qd7 and 

i)2...Qc6 fails to Qf5+ , which white wins Another pawn 

ii) 2...Qe6 3.Qxe6 fxe6 4.Rd1 Basicly winning 

iii)2...Rc6 3.Qd8 Nb7 4.Qe7 and white wins Another pawn 

iv) Something Like Rb8 Will allow white marching their pawn with c6 , winning 

DiogenesDue
PawnstormPossie wrote:

Here's another position:

 

White to move:

How do you evaluate the position? What to calculate? What's your plan for White and Black to support your final decison?

Passer is winning minus all pieces, so just trade down.  Dislodging black's knight with b3 probably sends it to c6 eventually blockading the passer, at which point white knight goes to outpost at d6.  White queen and rook to hold only open file and eventually trade off = no real chances for black.

Moving b3 first also solves the f5 problem you mentioned, since after Na5 white can play Nd6 any time.

KeSetoKaiba
PawnstormPossie wrote:

Here's another position:

White to move:

How do you evaluate the position? What to calculate? What's your plan for White and Black to support your final decison?

Thanks for posting a nice calculation puzzle. As I noted before, I like posting my own, but I also like to get some from other people, so I can also participate. I'll give this position a closer look later, but b3 looks strong. I'll give it some deeper thought and lines later if I can happy.png

KeSetoKaiba

Post #136 was my third "official" problem I presented and here is the "solution." I'll only go over a brief analysis, but if you want a more careful analysis: I recommend taking a look at the notes from Alexandria Kosteniuk herself - after all, this was from a game of hers (details in hidden, white text in post #136).

KeSetoKaiba

 

zmfwy
This is what noobs might do

 

KeSetoKaiba

I believe that this was a great puzzle to share for this calculation training forum. The solution appears simple after it is given, but calculating the a plethora of sidelines and navigating the deep myriad of potential King/pawn jabs can be a tricky task. I'll allow sometime for others to comment if they would like. I'll then post the next "official" training position in a day or two if no one has a specific position they would like to contribute to this forum.

KeSetoKaiba

@zmfwy although this is a possible game of "what noobs might do" (although even unlikely for a beginner game that isn't a joke game), please refrain from pointless posts like these in an otherwise predominantly serious forum. There are many forums with silly puzzles and you would be warm-welcomed there. However, this thread is a serious place for players to participate in "calculation training" or listen to insight from others. Puzzles like yours are just tangents if not ignored. I don't mean to call out you specifically, or your puzzle, but I want others to also know that this forum is not the proper place for puzzles of this nature. 

KeSetoKaiba

3...Kg4 is still a draw for White provided that they follow the mainline idea behind Ka5. I used ...Ke4 for my mainline since that is what Alexandria Kosteniuk noted in her book. 

KeSetoKaiba
PawnstormPossie wrote:

Why does Kxa4 fail in that line?

Edit: referencing 3...Kg4 line

Nice find @PawnstormPossie! I believe this is an alternate drawing line you found! Even I didn't see this line in my calculations. Can anyone else demonstrate how this line isn't holding the draw? I think it is working too!

Spaceysmile

I think I showed Why Kxa4 fails at my analyzes ( after Ke4 ofc) 

KeSetoKaiba
PawnstormPossie wrote:

Did several recent posts get deleted?

 

Edit: When posted this, #200 was last post available to view.

I don't think any posts were deleted (that I'm aware of). Maybe it was just a page loading issue? Chess.com has had a few unrelated bugs come out when puzzle battle was released a short while ago, but the issues seem to be fixed now.

KeSetoKaiba

Here is the 4th "official puzzle." Black has just tried to develop the Knight to d7 and now it is White to move.

This is a 5 minute blitz game from IM Christof Sielecki playing as White. Currently, his rating has been circa 2400, but this game was from a few years back. This game is posted on his YouTube channel as Blitz Chess #401 (his English channel is "Chessexplained" - as he has a different channel in German). Game Details: IM Chessexplained (2242) vs Young Gun (2227), 5 min. live blitz 

KeSetoKaiba
PawnstormPossie wrote:

Did several recent posts get deleted?

Edit: When posted this, #200 was last post available to view.

I just looked back at some older posts and in hindsight, I think some earlier posts must have been deleted since I think some post numberings are now not the same order as some comments in previous annotations.